Gauge glass connecter



Filed April 20, 1927 M X 1 x Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE ,enonen ERNST, NEwiaK, NEW JERSEY I i a GAUGE'GLASS connects Application filed April 20, 1927. Serial No. 185,142.

This invention relates to steam boiler at- Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig,'5,' but with tachments and has particular reference to gauge glasses adapted for use on large or high pressure steam boilers. g In the usual practice of gauge glasses for large boiler constructions, the glass proper is connected to and detached irom the valve body mechanisms by means of large metallic glands f or couplings, which being made of metal and of massive formation for strength, are very dangerous when manipulated in connection with the gauge glasses which are apt to be broken or at least scratched or chipped by the metallic fittings with the result that when the steam pressure is brought to bear upon the glasses they are. almost certain to explode due to the chippingor scratching.

Among the objects ofthis invention, therefore, is toprovide gauge glass connections or connectors in which there is no packing gland nor connecter of screw threaded type em bracing or surrounding the glass, and consequently, the above mentioned likelihood of damage or breakage to the glass cannot occur.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate the operation of repacking or replacing the sight glass of a gauge glass mechanism.

With the foregoing and other obj ects in view the invention consists in tho arrange: ment and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the inventionis not restricted tothe exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating azpractical embodiment thereof, referenceis had to the "accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention applied to a. vertical glass, but it is to be understood that the glass might be arranged otherwise than vertical if desired. I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. 7,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the upper portion of Fig. 1., looking toward the left.

Fig. dis a vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. i

the-sealing mechanism open- I Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional detail on the line 7i7 of Fig. 3. I s i p Referring now more specifically to the draw? ings, I showupper and lowervalve bodies 10 and 11 which as usual are tapped into a steamboiler or water column in awell known manner, and each provided with .a normally open cut-ofi valve 12 having a. stem 13 to which. is connected a bar, wheel, or other mechanism14 for operating the. same from the floor or from a distance. A gland 15 surrounds the stem 13 and-is screw threaded upon the main portion of the valve body as is well understood inthis art. The valve 12 is preferablyof the type'whichisfi-exibly connected to thestem at 16and hence is'self centered for closing upon the seat 17. v

Extending laterally, up or down, from ea'chvalve bodyis a boss or socket piecelS to receive the adjacent end of the glass 19;as heretofore but with theex'ception that the boss is preferably smooth andof hollow cy lind'rical form instead of being threaded up on the outside to receive a packing or sealing member in the nature of a gland. y y

7 On another side of the valve body prefer: ably diametrically opposite from the boss 18 is secured or arranged in any convenient mannor a socket member 20 for the reception of the head 21 of a screw '22 in the nature of a jack screw, the screw passing outward more or less freely through a hole 23 formed centrally oi the socket member.

In the old practiceofgauge glasses in connection with the heavy nuts or couplingsthat were slipped upon the'glass' and thereby held temporarily, there were used commonly heavy metal collars which likewise had to be slipped upon the glass accompaniedbythe danger above described, the collars being intended to abut against rubber gaskets 241. Instead of using metal collars or the like that slip along theglasses 29 for abutmentrelation with the gaskets 24, I use only a split collar-for each gasket, said collar comprising two parts 25a and 25?; being semi-cylindrical in nature and adapted to loosely embracethe glass 19 and to abut directly against the gasket 24 asishown in Figs. 4 and 5. These collar members 25a and 25?) are attached as by rivets or screws to a pair of hangers 26 extending parallel thereto and pivoted at 27 to a cross head 28 through which the screw 22 is threaded, the screw, cross head, and hangers constituting what may be termed a clamp. The end of the screw 22 remote from the head 21 is provided with a thimble 29 held in place thereon by means of a finger piece or bar 30.. The collar member25a is provided with a pair of ears 31 which have holes to receive a similar number of pins 32 carried by the other collar member 25?). j 1

In inserting a glass in accordance with this invention, the valve bodies having been put in place and properly aligned, the glass 19 1s slipped into place loosely into the-bosses 18 of the oppositely arranged. heads, the gaskets 24 having first been slipped upon the ends of the glass, and the clamps'are then brought into position, from that of Fig. 6 to that of Fig- 5. When the collar members 25m and 25?) are brought together on opposite sldes of the glass, the pins 32 are caused to enter the holes in the ears 31, the looseness at the cross head and head 21 of the screw providing for this adjustmentat the collar members. the smaller ends' of the. collar members come into place against the outer end of the gasket.

24. The outer surfaces of the collar members have'closer contact with the inner surface of the boss 18 than with the glass. Consequently thereis no immediate likelihood that the bringing of the collar members into sealing position will disturb or damage the glass'itself. Afterthe collar members are brought into position as just described, the j ackscrew 22 is rotated in a right hand direction with the immediate effect of drawing the cross head 28 away from the Valve body or as from the position of Fig. 6 to that of Fig. 5. This action of the screw puts the clamp under strain and forces the collar members toward the axisof the valve, compressing the gasket and making it impossible for the clamp to become accidentally loosened. And nothing touches the glass at any time except the rubber gaskets. On the reverse operation, to release the clamp, the screw-22 is turned in a left hand direction, and since the head 21 of the screw is locked from endwise' movement toward or'fromthe axis of-the valve, the con tinued left hand rotation of the screw causes positively the: collar members 25a and 25b to recede from not only the gasket, but free from the boss 18. This mechanism is easily manipulated, the amount of force required for compressing the gasket being relatively small compared with the power inherent in the jack screw 22 and cross head. The mechanism in no manner obstructs the vision of the glass inasmuch as the collar members 25a and 25b occupy no more space lengthwise of the glass than the ordinary coupling or gland nut.

Moreover, the readjustment, retightening, or resetting of the gauge glass may be performed easily and quickly by this new arrangement.

-ting the gasket under compression, said first mentioned means including a split collar surrounding the gauge glass and bearing on the gasket.

2. The combinatlon with a body adapted to receive an end of the gauge glass to be connected therewith, and a compressible gasket surrounding the gauge glass, of a structure carried by the body and having means to compress the gasket, a pair of hangers carrying said means, a cross head towhich the hangers are connected, and manually operated means for putting the cross head under tension to cause said means to compress the gasket, said meansand said manually operated member being positioned on opposite sides of the body.

8. In a gauge glass connector, the combination with a valve body, a gauge glass, and a gasket, of a split collar to compress the gasket, and means comprising a clamp carried by the outside of the valve body and accessible independently of the valve mechanism, said clampcomprising a pair of members individually engaging the parts of the split collar.

4. In a gauge glass connector, the combination with a valve body, a gauge glass, anda I gasket surrounding theglass for co-operation with the valve body, of compression means for the gasket comprising a pair of mating collar members spanning loosely the glass and abutting against the gasket, a pair of hangers carrying the collar members, a cross head to which the hangers are connected, and

manually operated means for putting the cross head under tension to cause the collar members to assume their sealing position.

5; The combination with a body and a gauge glass slipped thereinto, of sealing means for the gauge glass comprising a: split collar spanning the gauge glass, hanger members separately carrying the collar portions, and manually operated screw means acting to draw thehanger members and both collar portions simultaneously so as to compress the sealing means.

6. The combination with a head, and a gauge glass, of a gasket in said head to seal the glass therein, a split collar surrounding the glass, spaced elements to act individually on the portions of the split collar to com press the gasket, and means on the head to actuate said spaced elements.

7. The combination with a head and a.

gauge glass, of a gasket in said head to seal the glass therein, and means including a split gland to compress the gasket, and other means pivotally mounted at a point lying in the longitudinal axis of the glass to exert individual relatively balanced pressures on the portions of the gland.

8. The combination with a head, and a gauge glass, of a gasket in said head to seal the glass therein, a split collar providing portions having interlocking means, spaced elements to individually act on the portions of the collarto compress the gasket, and means on said head including a cross head to actuate said spaced elements.

9. A device including a gauge glass,a head 7 therefor, a gasket in the head, a split gland for the gasket, swingable means for releasably bearing on the gland Without torsional strain on the glass, and means for mounting and exerting a force on the swingable means in a direction axial with the gland for causing the latter to compress the gasket.

10. The combination with a head, and a gauge glass, of a gasket in the head to seal the glass therein, a split gland surrounding the glass, and spaced elements external of the head and mounted to act as a unit on the respective split gland portions to compress the gasket. V

11. A device of the character described, including a gauge glass, a head therefor, a gasket in the head, a gland for thegasket, and swingable means mounted on the head and adapted to act on the gland to compress the gasket.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE ERNST, 

